Interleukin-1 and IL-1 receptor antagonist in gingival crevicular fluid

Background/aims: This study aimed to investigate the cytokine IL-IP and its receptor antagonist IL-1ra in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), in patients with adult periodontitis. Method: A total of 40 GCF samples were harvested from 10 subjects with mode rate to severe adult periodontitis and 10 healthy controls. Subjects were s elected fr om both genders, with all the upper anterior teeth present, and with no relevant systemic illness, pregnancy or recent medication. All subj ects were non-smokers and had not received any periodontal therapy within t he preceding 3 months. Deep bleeding sites, deep non-bleeding sites and hea lthy sites were investigated in relation to upper anterior teeth. Clinical measurements were recorded for each site, after obtaining a GCF sample. IL- 1 beta and IL-1ra were quantified using new commercially available ELISA ki ts (Quantikine(TM)), and could be detected in all samples. Results: The mean concentration for IL-1 beta was 0.11 (SD 0.14) pg/mu l fo r bleeding periodontitis sites, 0.04 (0.05) pg/mu l for non-bleeding period ontitis sites, and 0.01 (0.03) pg/mu l for healthy sites (p<0.001). In cont rast, the mean concentration for IL-1ra was 6.99 (9.78) pg/mu l for healthy sites, 0.59 (0.44) pg/mu l for non-bleeding periodontitis sites, and 0.44 (0.36) pg/mu l for bleeding periodontitis sites (p<0.001, except for compar isons between bleeding and non-bleeding periodontitis sites, p>0.05). For h ealthy sites, a strong inverse relationship was found between IL-1 beta and IL-1ra levels in GCE Conclusions: The results suggest a strong relationship between the severity of adult periodontitis and the increasing GCF levels of IL-1 beta and decr easing levels of IL-1ra.